As a recent grad, I’m realizing that life this side of college has more responsibility that I was ready for. Though I’m still very much a kid at heart, I’m having to take on adult responsibility–and that is both exciting and terrifying.
So I started thinking yesterday about how I’m beginning to look like something that resembles an adult.
1. I have mountains of debt.
College isn’t cheap, for anyone. I, being stupider than most, chose to attend a private, out-of-state college. So my college expenses were astronomically high, though not as bad as some. However; I’m far from average. The average college kid has $24,000 in student loan debt. Triple that, and it’s closer to my debt.
This debt-mountain expects me to start paying it my hard-earned cash. Which brings me to point two…
2. I have more bills than I know what to do with.
Adult life seems to be driven by bills. Electric bills, car payments, utilities, dentist and doctor bills, not to mention rent…
And then, for grads, loan payments. I have five different bills coming in for my loans. That’s five chances to miss a payment, or screw up my routing number online. Or five chances for checks to get lost in the mail. And the whole time my credit score is hanging over my head like a death sentence, saying “I am the number people will define you by for the rest of your life!”
3. My wardrobe is getting a makeover.
I used to live in t-shirts, jeans, and sandals. If it wasn’t comfortable, I wouldn’t wear it. Skirts were the devil incarnate, and high heels were the devil’s evil cousin.
Now that I’m a “professional” (yes, I giggled too–me, a professional? Hah!), I find myself shopping for cute flowery shirts, cardigans, the dreaded skirts…and yes, even high heels. While our office is semi-casual–jeans on Fridays, yessssss–it is expected that I not look like a hippie/vagrant while I’m at work. So I am learning to be semi-comfortable in a semi-casual workplace.
4. I am being addressed as “ma’am,” and “miss.”
This may or may not have something to do with living in the South.
Either way, it is weird. In my head, I am neither of those titles. I’m Katie. Just Katie. (You’re a wizard, Harry.) Maybe if I’m constantly addressed by them, I’ll start conforming to the name.
“Ma’am” to me sounds very matronly, does that mean I’m matriarchal? Yikes.
“Miss” is better. Sounds like a nice young schoolteacher or something. I’m okay with being called “miss.” Besides, “Miss Katie” has a nice ring to it, don’t you think?
5. Budgeting.
I have never had to make a budget. I made money, I spent it. On something fun. Like ice cream, or a video game. It was a good life.
But now I only get paid once a month, and in order to not have to beg for gas money, I’m going to have to learn how to budget. Sound fun? It’s not. I make a chart and watch my paycheck dwindle and dwindle into nothingness.
I’ll be doing my first budgeting chart later in the week, probably with hilarious results. I’ll be darned if my budding adulthood takes fun out of my life. There’s got to be a way to balance responsibility and fun, right?
Limeokapi 